Chimes



Dec. 27, 1960 v c, J GERCKEN 2,966,089

CHIMES Filed Jfinu 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T .2 2A 4g C761 rezzce if Gerak en Dec. 27, 1960 c. J. GERCKEN 2,966,089

CHIMES Filed June 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EYE 2127? United States Patent CHIMES Clarence J. Gercken, Park Ridge, Ill., assignor to J. C. Deagan, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 3, 1957, Ser. No. 663,104

4 Claims. (C1. 84-405) This invention relates generally to musical chimes, and more specifically to an improved set of chimes employing an electromagnetic pickup for translating mechanical vibrations into electrical signals.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various musical instruments, a particularly useful application is made in musical chimes of the remotely actuated and electronically amplified type. Accordingly, this invention has been disclosed as incorporated in a chime structure of the type shown in the United States patent to Rowe, No. 2,588,295, issued March 4, 1952.

A common shortcoming of prior art devices is that various disagreeable sounds have emanated from the various apparatuses used for producing sound. These sounds are nonmusical distortions or noises, largely of a transient nature, which are superimposed upon the desired tones. These disagreeable sounds have been characterized as producing ughs, plunks, and thuds. A further shortcoming common to prior art devices of this type is that their tuning or adjustment tends to be unstable, particularly even when carefully handled, more so if exposed to shipping shocks, a change in the relative humidity of the air, and other environmental conditions.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a set of musical chimes which produces tones which are devoid of disagreeable sounds.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the production of sound, the various adjustments of which are stable.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a structure for the production of sound, such structure being tonally stable in the presence of various environmental conditions.

Still another object of the instant invention is the provision of an exciting means for vibratory members wherein sustained tones may be obtained, even through the organist or operator merely pecks at each note.

Yet another object of the instant invention is the provision of an appartus for producing sound having an improved and stable tone quality.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to 1 those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment, incorporating the principles of the present. invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a representative portion of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, taken generally along the line II--II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective of the exciting end of the apparatus;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top view taken along line V-V of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line VIVI of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in an apparatus for producing sound such as illustrated in Figure 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The apparatus includes a plurality of magnetic resonant tone bars 1114 of graduated length, each capable of producing a desired note in a given set of chimes 10. As best shown in Figure 2, each of the bars, for example, the bar 14, includes an upper integral end portion 15 bent at an angle to a main portion 16. Each of the tone bars, for example, tone bar 14, also has a lower integral end portion 17 bent at an angle to the main portion 16. As best shown in Figure 5. each of the integral end portions 15, 18, 19 and 20 are graduated in length in accordance with the key note or fundamental of the respective tone bars. The term bar as used herein includes any rod or tube of any crosssection, either hollow or solid.

The chimes further include a support 21. The support 21 includes a back 22, an upper rail 23, and a lower rail 24. The lower rail 24 carries a series of escutcheon pins, each identified by the numeral 25; the upper rail 23 carries a series of escutcheon pins 25, and a series of rotatable adjusting pins 26. The upper rail 23 of the support 21 has a forwardly directed vertical face 27 against which is carried upper cordage 23. A member 29 is removably secured to the vertical face 27 as by means of screws 30, the cordage 28 lying intermediate the member 29 and the face 27. When the screws 30 are loosened, the cordage 28 is free to be moved vertically with respect to the face 27, and when the screws 30 are tightened, the member 29 securely clamps the cordage 28 against the face 27. Ordinarily, the screws 30 will be in a loosened position during adjustment of the adjusting screws 26, and will thereafter be tightened, to lock the position of the cordage with respect to the support after the effective cordage length has been adjusted. One end of the cordage 28 is fastened to one of the upper escutcheon pins 25, and the other end of the cordage is secured to one of the adjusting screws 26, whereupon rotation of such screws shortens the effective length of the cordage. The cordage 28 intermediate its length is secured to one of the bars, whereby adjustment of the adjusting screw 26 determines the relative spacing between the upper integral end portions, for example 15, and a pickup 31. Similarly, a lower cordage 32 is secured at one end to one of the lower escutcheon pins 25, thence to one of the tone bars, for example, 14, thence to an extension spring 33, which is directly or indirectly secured to another escutcheon pin 25.

Further, the support 21 may include a brace 34 which may be felt covered as at 35. The brace 34 is rigid with respect to the supporting means 21 and the surface 35 is directed toward and disposed adjacent to one side of the tone bars intermediate the length of their main portions. It is to be understood that the surface 35 is in slightly spaced relationship to such side of the tone bars during the playing thereof. The opposite side of the tone bars are engageable by a removable clamp 36 which has a surface engageable with such other side of the tone bars for shipment. It is to be understood that the clamp 36 may be removed-as shown in Figure 2, and may be drawn toward the brace 34 as shown in Figure 1 as by screws 37, preferably after the adjusting pins 26 have been adjusted so that during handling any inertial forces which may be present within the various tone bars, will 3 not exert any excessive forces on the suspension 26, 28, 29.

At the lower end of each of the bars, there is provided an exciting means generally indicated by the numeral 40 and best shown in Figure 3. In the instant embodiment, the striking means 40 is electromagnetic and is disposed adjacent to the bent portion 17 of the rod 14. Striking means 40 includes a remotely energizable electric coil 41 which is provided with a mounting bracket 42 forming a part of the magnetic circuit of the coil 41. Bracket 42 is secured to the support 22 as by screws 43 and has a position which is relatively adjustable in a direction toward and away from the end portion 17 of the bar 14. The exciting means 40 further includes a striking means 44, here comprising a hammer assembly which is received within the coil 41 as a movable armature. When the coil 41 acts or ceases to act on the hammer assembly 44, the hammer moves in a direction generally longitudinal of the main portion 16 of the bar 14'. The hammer assembly 44 includes a ferromagnetic section 45, a non-magnetic section 46, for example of aluminum, and thereby has a metal surface 48 directed toward and engageable with the bent portion 17. The striking means or hammer assembly 44 also includes a means such as a hanger 49 for supporting the striking assembly 44. The hanger means 49 is connected to the hammer 44 at a point slightly remote from the metal surface 48 and loosely extends about the end portion 17 of the bar 14', engaging same at a hook or bent portion 50, when the hammer 44 is in its lowermost or rest position. The hanger 49 may comprise any suitable material such as felt. It is desirable that the loop 50 of the felt hanger 49 have a minimum area of engagement with the end portion 17. In the illustrated embodiment, such engagement extends axially along the end portions 17 and 17' for a distance less than the transverse dimension or diameter of such end portions. This feature is necessary for the substantial avoidance of damping of the bar by the loop 50, whereby a tone is sustained, even though the loop 50 is brought into engagement with the end portion 17 upon deenergization of the coil 41. The point where the nonferromagnetic section 46 merges with the ferromagnetic section 45 is within the coil 41. Therefore the relative position of the magnetic portion of the armature or striking means 44 with respect to the coil 41 may be varied by moving the bracket 42 with respect to the support 22. This adjustment thereby varies the force exerted on the hammer 44 and hence on the end portion 17' of the tone bar 14. Accordingly, within the limits of operativeness, the position of the coil 41 may be adjusted with respect to the armature 44 to balance the loudness of the respective tones, loudness being one of the qualities which must be properly matched to obtain the most pleasing tones.

This invention further includes another novel adjustment. In this embodiment, this further adjustment includes a bracket 51 disposed in fixed relationship with respect to the support 22, in this embodiment forming a portion or extension of the bracket 42. The bracket 51 is slotted and includes a plurality of shoulders defining slots 52 and 53 through which the cordage 32 is guided. It has been found that when the end portion 17 is struck in a conventional location, unpleasant sounds are produced at the upper end of the musical register. Others have solved this problem by making the striking face 48 of nonmetallic material. However, in the instant invention, the face 48 is of metal and the problem is solved by shifting the relative lateral position of the bent portion 17' and hence the point of hammer engagement. Thus, by shifting the cordage 32 from the slot 52 to the slot 53, the hammer 4-4 engages the end portion 17' at a point closer to the main portion 16' of the bar 14, thereby avoiding an unpleasant sound even though a metal face be used on the hammer for upper register notes.

The adjustable suspension, including the cordage 28, 32, the escutcheon pins 25, the springs 33, and the loudness adjustment pins 26, has yet another feature. The suspension mounts and supports the various tone bars by suspending them in fixed preselected relationship with respect to the various magnetic pickups 31. The cordage 28 is attached near the ends of the main portion 16 at points which represent vibration nodes so that the various tone bars are supported in a manner which permits substantially free vibration thereof. For further reliability in maintaining tuned position, the cordage 28 comprises inelastic nonhygroscopic shock resistant flexible material. When such material is utilized, the cordage 28 is able to resist the various environmental conditions which would tend to elongate or shrink it to vary the effective length and thereby the effective position of the end portion 15 with respect to the magnetic pickup 31. A particularly useful material for this purpose comprises fiber glass or comprises nylon cord having a filamentary glass insert, whereby the glass filaments are tensioned. Accordingly, the cordage 32 also comprises an inelastic material, for example, cordage including filamentary glass 55 covered with a nylon jacket 56 as best seen in Figure 4. It is preferable that a substantially constant tension be present in the cordage 32, and for this purpose the springs 33 are provided. The springs 33 preferably have a low spring rate, so that any change in spring deflection has negligible effect upon the tension in the cordage 32. Thus, any change in length of bar due to temperature variation does not substantially affect the suspension of the various tone bars. Of course, it is to be understood that the spring 33 may be attached to the cordage 32 in any convenient way, wherein the spring 33 compensates for any change of length in the cord 32.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the structural details for mounting the various pickups 31 is best shown. Within an opening or recess in the upper support rail 23, there is received a block 60, preferably of plastic, in which there is a series of apertures 61-64. Within each of the apertures 61-64, there is a magnetic pickup element 31 of conventional design. The element includes a magnet having a field directed towards the end portion of the adjacent bar and in which field there lies a coil, whereby vibrations of the bar cause a redistribution of the magnetic lines which thereby cut the coil to induce a corresponding signal therein.

As best shown in Figure 5, the apertures 61-64 are disposed in a line which lies at an angle with respect to the surface 27, the surface 27 being parallel to the common plane in which the various tone bars 11-14 are disposed in rest position. It is desirable that the various pickups sense vibration at the centers of the various end portions, for example end portion 15. Accordingly, the series of apertures 61-64 lies at an angle with respect to the common plane of the tone bars which angle is one-half the angle included between the ultimate ends of the tone bars and the common plane. By this structure, each pickup is fixedly aligned with respect to the midpoints of the various end portions. Further, by the use of plastic, a material having good magnetic and electrical properties combined with low moisture absorption is thereby obtained. In that the blocks have low moisture absorption, warpage and resulting detuning are thereby precluded. Further, the block 60 is preferably provided with a shock absorbing means 66, such as sponge rubber, intermediate the block 60 and the rail 23 of the support 21.

When the structure has been assembled as described, and the various adjustments described have been performed and locked in a position to produce the tones most pleasing to the ear, the unit is ready for operation. A remote key, not shown, closes the circuit to one of the coils 41 whereupon the striking means 44 is brought into engagement with the end portion 17. The organist or operator may immediately release the key or may hold the key in a depressed position. If the key is held in a depressed position, the surface 48, after striking the portion 17, falls back slightly to a point determined by the location of the magnetic gap within the coil 41. When the key is released, gravity draws the striking means or armature downward causing engagement of the loop 50 with the end portion 17. This engagement has but little damping effect on the tone bar, and accordingly a sustained bell-like tone is produced, having a slow or gradual decay.

The tone is thus produced by vibration of a comparatively lightweight bar which is free to vibrate to produce its fundamental tone and its overtones. These vibrations are converted to electromagnetic variations by the various pickups, which, being connected in series, produce a composite electrical signal which is directed to an ampliher and speaker (not shown). The various operating shocks to which the apparatus may be subjected do not reach the pickups, and accordingly, a tone which is devoid of the unpleasant components is thereby produced. Further, the various other novel structural features disclosed herein coact to preserve the purity of this tone so that the entire apparatus may be subjected to extensive handling, shipping shocks, humidity variations, and other environmental conditions, which are thereby precluded from affecting the tone quality.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sound producing apparatus having a plurality of tone bars supported in a common plane, each having an end portion disposed at an angle to the main portion of the bar, the end portions being of graduated length, and a pickup adjacent to each end portion, the improvement comprising: a block having a series of apertures, each receiving one of the pickups, said apertures being aligned at an angle to the common plane of the tone bars, said angle being substantially one-half the angle defined by the common plane and the ends of the end portions, whereby each pickup is disposed at the center of the corresponding end portion.

2. In a sound producing apparatus having a plurality of supported tone bars each having an end portion disposed at an angle to the main portion of the bar, the end portions being of graduated length, and a pickup adjacent to each end portion, the improvement comprising: a block having a series of apertures, each receiving one of the pickups, said apertures being transversely disposed along said block so that the pickups respectively fixedly register with the end portions substantially at their midpoints.

3. In apparatus for producing sound including, a resonant bar having an integral end portion disposed at an angle to the main portion of the bar; a striker assembly having a stationary portion and a movable element for vibrating the bar, said assembly being disposed adjacent to said integral end portion; means rigidly and adjustably supporting the striker assembly and comprising a part of said stationary portion thereof; and a cord secured to the bar near one end thereof and to said supporting means, and disposed adjacent to the striker assembly, the end of the bar being free to move in response to lateral cord position, the improvement of means for selecting the relative lateral position of said integral end portion of the bar and said element of the striker assembly, said improvement comprising a bracket carried by said stationary portion of said striker assembly, said bracket being disposed in a plane transverse to the cord and having a slot therein through which the cord extends, said slot having a plurality of shoulders communicating with each other and disposed at various distances from said element against which shoulders the cord may stably bear and be selectively positioned.

4-. In a sound producing apparatus having a vertically disposed elongated tone bar, a cord having a bight supporting the tone bar, an adjustment means secured to the cord at a point remote from said bight and operative to vary the effective length of said cord and hence the position of the tone bar, a support for said adjustment means, and a pickup disposed adjacent to said bar, the improvement in combination therewith comprising: an elongated face on said support extending generally parallel to said tone bar and said cord, and disposed immediately adjacent to said cord for engagement therewith; and a rigid elongated member clampingly movable toward said face and against said cord intermediate the bar and said adjustment means for positively limiting and reducing the effective length of the cord after said adjustment means has been properly positioned, without thereby changing the position of the bar, whereby said clamping member prevents forces from said bar from reaching said adjustment means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 960,665 Metzger June 7, 1910 1,678,353 Reach July 24, 1928 1,929,027 Miessner Oct. 3, 1933 1,935,215 Severy NOV. 14, 1933 2,152,300 Bossard Mar. 28, 1939 2,167,600 Gardiner July 25, 1939 2,463,203 Reck Mar. 1, 1949 2,499,113 Rowe Feb. 28, 1950 2,516,725 Rowe July 25, 1950 2,548,710 Dodd Apr. 10, 1951 2,573,254 Fender Oct. 30, 1951 2,588,295 Rowe Mar. 4, 1952 2,600,843 Bush June 17, 1952 2,707,414 Marshall May 3, 1955 2,793,608 Iunghans et al May 28, 1957 

